I read this years ago, but I remember it as being a well-plotted mystery and an incisive look under Victorian mores. I also think it made me fall in love with Hester Latterly, the bright, abrasive nurse that works with Anne Perry's detective Monk. ( )

no. 4

School Library Journal Review: YA-Another Perry mystery that highlights the frustrating status of women in Victorian England. The story hinges on society's low opinion of nurses and of both single and married women who seek abortions. A talented nurse is found strangled, and Inspector Monk and his friends, a nurse and a lawyer, follow the clues to see that the murderer will hang. It is difficult to decide which element is the author's true forte-the details of everyday life or the suspenseful courtroom dialogues. The plot has many twists and turns. Readers may suspect some of the answers, but surprises continue right until the last page. The opening chapters place readers in a subplot that provides background on different characters. The shift in the action is slightly confusing as these people are rarely mentioned again. However, Perry fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers will be entertained by a good mystery as they enter the world of Victorian high society.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA ( )